Typhoon Gaemi Causes Destruction in Southeastern China and Taiwan

Typhoon Gaemi Strikes Southeastern China

Typhoon Gaemi has unleashed its fury over southeastern China, prompting local authorities to issue warnings about the potential for torrential rains and devastating flooding. This powerful storm, which previously wreaked havoc in Taiwan and the Philippines, made landfall late Thursday night in Fujian Province, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

In response to the impending threat, the local government took swift action, shutting down schools and nonessential businesses while evacuating over 290,000 residents by Friday morning. The Quanzhou International Airport in Fujian canceled more than 160 flights due to adverse weather conditions, affecting countless travelers.

When it made landfall, Gaemi was reported to have wind speeds approaching 73 miles per hour, just shy of the Category 1 hurricane threshold used in the Atlantic Ocean classification system. However, its intensity had diminished compared to the previous day when it slammed into Taiwan with winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

Despite the storm’s weakening, Chinese authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant. Gaemi is expected to move northward in the coming days, crossing through more than a dozen provinces. Southern China has already been grappling with heavy rainfall and severe flooding for weeks.

In a proactive measure, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, convened a meeting on Thursday with the top decision-making body to strategize on flood prevention and disaster relief efforts. As of early Friday morning, weather stations in Fujian reported accumulations of over 1.6 feet of rainfall since Wednesday, with forecasts predicting that other regions could receive a staggering 2.6 feet of rain.

In Taiwan, the impact of Gaemi has been particularly tragic, with reports indicating that the storm has left five dead and nearly 700 injured. Flooding continues to affect areas in the central and southern parts of the island, with heavy rainfall triggering landslides that have blocked railroads and the primary highway connecting Taipei to the eastern coast.

This week has seen turbulent seas as the storm traversed the region. A Tanzanian cargo ship tragically sank near Kaohsiung in Taiwan, while a tanker carrying fuel oil also sank off the coast of the Philippines.

In the Philippines, Gaemi has claimed at least 15 lives as reported by officials as of Thursday. The Philippine authorities announced on Friday that the storm has intensified monsoon rains across various regions, thereby heightening the risk of flooding and landslides.

Reporting contributed by Zixu Wang from Hong Kong.